A Tofino resident and former municipal councillor is questioning whether personal watercrafts should be allowed to share the same waves as swimmers and surfers at local beaches.
Cathy Thicke recently shared a video on social media that shows at least two Sea-Doo or Jet Ski operators riding waves close to shore and near surfers at Chesterman Beach.
Thicke told the Westerly News that the video was shot by her son in law and local surf instructor Shannon Brown and she posted it online to see whether her safety concerns would be shared by others.
乌鸦传媒淚 was quite distressed to see it乌鸦传媒eople on soft tops who were learning and young kids were less than 50 metres away. So, I thought, that doesn乌鸦传媒檛 look right, that doesn乌鸦传媒檛 look good, that doesn乌鸦传媒檛 look safe, what should we be doing about that on our beaches?乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 thought that if I feel horrified looking at this, I wonder if other people feel the same and, if that is the case, then we should do something as a municipality towards sorting that out.乌鸦传媒�
The video quickly gained traction and garnered nearly 100 comments, the vast majority of which expressed discomfort and distress about the safety of those near the watercrafts.
Tofino mayor Josie Osborne told the Westerly news via email that the town乌鸦传媒檚 local government does not regulate ocean activities as that falls under federal jurisdiction and that Tofino乌鸦传媒檚 council would not be considering any new bylaws stemming from the concerns sparked by the video.
乌鸦传媒淲e do take issues like this very seriously though乌鸦传媒攁s should everyone乌鸦传媒攂ecause clearly, motorized vessels and surfers cannot use the surf zone at the same time,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 understand that people often want Council or District staff to know about poor behaviour, and feedback from residents is useful to inform our decision-making on municipal matters like beach fires, noise, and how to fund and deploy bylaw enforcement resources. It乌鸦传媒檚 also helpful feedback for communications and messaging that乌鸦传媒檚 undertaken by the District and agencies like Tourism Tofino. The truth is that the vast majority of feedback we hear really boils down to one simple thing: a lack of respectful and courteous behaviour. I think we乌鸦传媒檇 all like to see more of that at times, right?乌鸦传媒�
Nearby beaches within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, like Cox Bay, Long Beach and Wickaninnish Beach prohibit all powered personal watercrafts within 750 metres of the high water mark.
The rules in Tofino are less clear, with no bylaws in place regulating ocean activities, though the district乌鸦传媒檚 Public Property Use Regulation Bylaw prohibits 乌鸦传媒渓aunch[ing] any motorized vessel from any public beach unless by means of a facility provided for such a purpose,乌鸦传媒� and also bans 乌鸦传媒渁ny loud, objectionable or unnecessary noise from a motor vehicle or vessel.乌鸦传媒�
Sgt. Todd Pebernat of the Tofino RCMP told the Westerly that the watercrafts at Chesterman were not investigated because police 乌鸦传媒渙nly became aware after the incident.乌鸦传媒�
Osborne urges residents to reach out to the RCMP when they see any unsafe activities.
乌鸦传媒淚n this case, the RCMP would have been contacted and could have quickly taken action to identify the [watercraft] operators and follow up much faster than what ended up occurring,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淭o reiterate: whether you see dangerous driving on a Tofino road, a huge bonfire on the beach, dangerous boating, helicopters landing on crowded beaches, or any other unsafe activity, call 911. It only takes seconds.乌鸦传媒�
She added that if a report about dangerous activity turns out to be a municipal bylaw matter, police will reach out to the district office.
乌鸦传媒淭here is a close working relationship between RCMP and District of Tofino乌鸦传媒檚 bylaw department,乌鸦传媒� she said.
Thicke suggested beaches in other municipalities have regulations around motorized vessels and she hopes the community can collaborate on a set of rules governing local shores, adding that Tourism Tofino could then help educate visitors on what乌鸦传媒檚 expected of them when they乌鸦传媒檙e enjoying the ocean.
乌鸦传媒淚 pressed the council to take some leadership on that. Nobody seemed to be clear on whether it was OK or wasn乌鸦传媒檛 OK,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou乌鸦传媒檝e got people in the surf zone with young kids there, so that to me was a bit of a problem.乌鸦传媒�
She added the recent incident was the first time she乌鸦传媒檇 ever seen watercrafts in the surf zone.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 just like to see safe use of Sea-Doos within Clayoquot Sound,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淪ome uses are good and fun but, when you get in the surf zone in proximity to people who are swimming or surfing, that乌鸦传媒檚 clearly a very dangerous situation.乌鸦传媒�
She added clarity is needed on what the rules are quickly because local beaches are beginning to fill up as the provincial government eases travel restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 want to hear about an accident involving a young child who was completely defenceless in a situation because somebody else wants to have some fun, that乌鸦传媒檚 not OK,乌鸦传媒� she said.
The Westerly News reached out to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada for clarification on who is responsible for regulating personal watercrafts in surf zones, but did not hear back by presstime.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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